Once upon a time, there was a king who imprisoned a man because that man publicly protested when the king married his half-brother’s wife. It came to pass that the king held a lavish banquet at which his wife’s daughter danced seductively for the king and his highest officials and wealthiest nobles. The king was … Continue reading Of Cabbages and Kings
Tag: history
Jenga
Most people are familiar with a game called Jenga. Players remove rectangular blocks one-by one from a tower and place them on top without collapsing the tower. The person who removes the last block successfully and places it on top is the winner. The game is over when the tower collapses under its own weight. … Continue reading Jenga
When in the Course
I was born at the beginning of the Eisenhower era and was raised by Republican parents. Even so, they preferred JFK to Richard Nixon, so there’s that. I came of age during the Viet Nam war; however, I was too young to be drafted. Many who graduated high school before me paid a terrible price. … Continue reading When in the Course
Dualities
“Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.” “If you criticize Israel, that means you are antisemitic.” “If you question the president, you must hate your country.” There are many examples. These statements represent the “either-or” fallacy. Of course, a person might not agree with everything their country (or their president) does … Continue reading Dualities
Winners?
When he saw one of us after a concert or recital, one of my music professors would ask, “So…winners?” If our performance went well, we would answer, “Winners!” If we hesitated, he said, “Losers, then?” His expression said, “Well, you can’t win them all. Better luck next time.” We could tell he wanted us to … Continue reading Winners?
Bookends
We recently returned from a tour that included several cities in Hungary, Austria, Germany, and The Netherlands. We began in Budapest, where we visited the “Shoes on the Danube Bank” memorial to 800 Jewish people who were forced to give up their shoes before being shot and thrown into the river. Seeing the pairs of … Continue reading Bookends
Of Colleges and Kings
A family member used to say things like, “If he’s not guilty, why did they arrest him?” or “He’s guilty. What do they mean, ‘alleged’?” When I mentioned that the prosecution must provide evidence to prove the charges in court, their answer was, “Why bother? Everybody knows he did it.” Yet, accusations are not enough. … Continue reading Of Colleges and Kings
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